


Owls

by missreala



Category: NiGHTS into Dreams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:53:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22872790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missreala/pseuds/missreala
Summary: NiGHTS escapes Nightmare with some help from Owl.
Kudos: 19





	Owls

“Aloysius!” Owl yelled, stopping to catch his breath once he reached the clearing where they’d seen it take a sudden nosedive out of the nighttime clouds. The owls who lived here could see as clear as though it were daylight, but to a human, this forest would have been treacherously dark.

“Call me Al, Grandpa!” A younger voice called angrily from behind Owl, followed by a chorus of laughter.

Owl threw a wing out to stop Al - a younger, leaner owl clad in a cap and messenger bag - and the others from flying into the clearing, shushing his grandson furiously, his eyes darting in every direction distractedly.

“You have to call me Owl now, Aloysius.” he whisper-scolded. Al rolled his eyes exasperatedly as several other owls alighted on the edge of the clearing next to him.

There were a few moments of silence as they listened. Owl was the only one who’d seen the purple flash out of the sky, and Al was beginning to wonder if he was just going senile when - it happened. The sky above them was swarmed by dark shapes suddenly, buzzing, flapping, hissing, the silence replaced by a monstrous cacophony. Owl didn’t need to tell them to get down.

One particular Nightmaren separated himself from the swarm and descended to the forest floor. Al felt his stomach drop and stifled a gasp. He’d never seen Reala before, but he had heard of him from Gr- Owl as a hatchling and knew the menacing figure on sight.

“NiGHTS!” Reala screamed, clenching his fists, his icy blue eyes frantically searching the clearing. Al momentarily found himself unable to breathe as the sharp gaze passed right over the spot where he was hidden.

“I know you’re here, NiGHTS! We all saw you! Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in?” Reala’s screaming had somehow risen into a tone even more animalistic and terrifying, and Al couldn’t help noticing the sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight with every word. He stopped circling the clearing suddenly, his arms outstretched in a gesture almost like prayer, staring at the sky with a wide-eyed expression. He looked, for a moment, like a lost little child.

This moment was violently cut short when he punched a tree, screaming ragefully.

Al realized that Owl had begun whispering furiously to one of the other cadets, who nodded before flying off into the darkness. After a moment, Reala’s screams were cut short when a small sound could be heard in a distant part of the forest, barely audible enough to be distinguishable as the product of a living creature’s movements and not the regular backdrop of the trees rustling and knocking against each other as the wind whistled through. Reala whipped around towards the sound. He paused briefly to shake himself out of his upset, wiping something off his face, and then darted off in the direction of the sound, followed by his fellow marens.

The silence resumed, and the owls carefully emerged from their hiding spaces, creeping into the clearing at Owl’s lead.

“Come on out, little Nightmaren.” Owl spoke softly.

Al reflexively jumped into the air, baring his talons when a figure drifted silently out of the forest, their face obscured in the darkness. NiGHTS was not particularly little at all, at least not compared to the owls.

“You again!” Al hissed.

“Stand down, Aloysius.” Owl commanded. “It won’t do us any harm.”

As though on cue, NiGHTS promptly collapsed to their knees before Owl, throwing their arms around him and loudly sobbing into his jacket like an infant.

“Oh - there there, dear, it will be all right, don’t cry now -”

Al landed, stunned. He had no idea how to respond to this.

“G- Owl! They can’t be here!” Al sputtered, gesturing exasperatedly with his wings.

“The Great Mother created us to care for the denizens of this world, Aloysius.”

“They-”

“Are in need of care.” Owl sighed, patting NiGHTS on the head. The renegade Nightmaren had finally removed themselves from Owl and hugged themselves, sniffling, saying nothing. 

“You look like you could use a nice cup of tea.” Owl said, pushing NiGHTS back to their feet. It was, in fact, nearly tea time in the owls’ nocturnal schedule. The group began the flight back to the village, with Al eyeing NiGHTS suspiciously the whole way.


End file.
